September 17, 2013
Opalyn:
Hi Everybody! I started putting this article together over a month ago and had intended to publish it mid-August, however several projects and some intrapersonal work claimed my time so now that I have balanced a few things out here it is.
With one "Asilomar" basket complete, I decided to use the same pattern and try a different material for the cords. This time I made 4-ply single color cords out of teal and purple paper wraphia.
the first 24 cords
The wraphia makes cords that are much stiffer than the cords made from cotton yarn. One area that I can improve on is gaining more consistent tension within the cords. This comes from the initial over-twist of the individual plies.
Nearly Complete :)
This basket is nearly complete with the rim cord in place and the decorative knots tied. I decided to keep this basket at this stage of completion because I did a Ply-Split demonstration at the Big River Fiber Fling in late August and I wanted to finish this basket during the demo.
Close up of Trim - cut to length and "frayed" on the left while the right is unfinished.